


Crack

by mutedtempest



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: But whatever, F/M, Gen, Recreational Drug Use, This is utterly ridiculous, allura too, i don't care, lotor be trippin, the others are just like o...kay we'll leave you two alone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 16:35:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16998615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutedtempest/pseuds/mutedtempest
Summary: AU after the kiss in 6x04 because what is canon? Don't know her. Lotura return from the rift to their friends and things are good.





	Crack

**Author's Note:**

  * For [garbage_dono](https://archiveofourown.org/users/garbage_dono/gifts), [beansquat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beansquat/gifts).



> I don't even care that it makes no sense I wrote it anyway and now you're reading it for some reason but. I love Lotor and Allura and wanted them to have this even if it's just in my little corner of the interwebs. 
> 
> I stole the Lotor/Hightor thing and I'm not even ashamed sue me if you wanna I'm living on a couch out of a suitcase so GOOD LUCK WITH THAT
> 
> And MERRY JEITHMAS MORTICIAHAVISHAM BLESSINGS OF JEITH UPON YOU

He accepted the “joint” easily, when Hunk offered it to him. He and Allura had barely stepped onto the bridge, and he was still rather flustered from their kiss in the hangar and from their experiences in the rift, but he’d seen no reason to deny the gesture. Only Hunk and Pidge were in the immediate vicinity, and they were told that the others awaited their presence in the lounge.

“I dunno, it just kinda seems like you could use this. I know it’s been pretty stressful lately, but you just never seem to really relax and I sorta wanted you to be able to,” Hunk had said, holding the joint out to him with a somewhat embarrassed expression. 

After a quick glance at Allura, who simply shrugged with a small smile, Lotor accepted. “This is used as a relaxant, then?”

“Yeah, pretty much – “ Hunk began, but Pidge was at his side immediately.

“It’s a mild recreational drug on Earth, from the cannibis indica or cannabis stevia plant. The leaves can be dried and then smoked, or baked into foods – he’s _definitely_ not ready for edibles yet, Hunk, quit looking so turned on – and its most common effects are an increase of appetite and muscle relaxation. It’s used as a medical aide for a lot of health conditions. I bartered for this particular supply on a swap moon a few phoebes ago, the plant has a name I can’t really pronounce but according to every record I’ve found of it, it’s so similar as to be nearly indistinguishable. Harmless in the short term but like anything else you might get addicted if you use it regularly…” She trailed off, blushing a little and pushing her glasses up in embarrassment. Lotor just smiled at her, examining the proferred “joint” carefully. 

“Ah, thank you for the information. I must confess that I’ve tried many such things on various planets and ships at multiple points in my life. I have made it a point to keep a clear head in as many circumstances as possible, but I have no aversion to such practices. You are correct, Hunk. It would probably be for the best if I were to regain my strength this night cycle. You as well, Allura.”

Her hand was in his immediately, and he turned slightly to look at her. The adoration in her eyes made him happier than any drug ever could, but she neatly plucked the joint from his fingers to hold it in her own. He let it go with a shrug, and she giggled. 

“I can’t say I take part in these smoking sessions often, but the times I have, it _has_ been quite relaxing. We truly have been working very hard, Lotor. Perhaps after I give the report of our findings…”

“I can analyze the data collected and present the findings tomorrow. The samples are great, but they’re not exactly something we have on hand so I’ll need to crosscheck them with known forms of quintessence to see where we stand and what the supply direct from the rift can do,” Pidge said quietly, looking from Lotor to Allura and then to Hunk, who blushed a bit.

“Uh, yeah! I can help with that. You’re both free to take the night off, hang out and do…things I guess. I can make dinner later if you want some!” but he and Pidge were already out the door. 

Allura squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. “Lounge, then? We may as well tell them that the mission was a success and give a quick rundown on where we stand, at the very least. I know they were worried…”

“I’m sorry to have worried them, and to have put you into any danger. I can never completely eliminate it but you have my word I will always make things as safe as I’m able for you,” Lotor said quietly, turning when she did to head to the lounge. Before they got there, he decided to press his luck a bit and pulled her into a corner for another kiss.

It quickly became rather heated, and he had to force himself to pull away before he simply made love to her in the hallway in plain sight of whoever happened to pass. But he wasn't entirely sure he cared, with the way Allura was pulling him closer with every tick, her soft sighs and the feel of her against him more enticing than he could remember anything being for decaphoebes. 

It ended quickly when Lance stuck his head out of the lounge and Allura jumped back, and he was honestly thankful for it. It wouldn't do to continue in one of the main hallways of the castleship, after all.

“So uh…you guys have a good time? In the rift, I mean. Not like…anywhere else…” Lance asked, looking at the floor and rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

Allura was blushing scarlet, but Lotor just grinned. “Yes, our experience was quite…enlightening.” He turned his grin to Allura, who was now looking at the floor herself, before looking back to Lance. “It has enhanced our research into quintessence collection tenfold, and will be extremely useful moving forward.”

“Oh. That’s…cool, I guess. Glad you made it back safe. We’re just sorta hanging out, I think Hunk’s making dinner if you wanna come relax for awhile? Pidge set up the big viewscreen, Coran brought us some recordings of Altean theater?”

“Oh, the Star Dancers!! I haven’t watched that in decaphoebes. Lotor, would you be at all interested?”

“Very much so,” he replied, noticing how dejected Lance looked about the answer. Lotor nudged Allura toward the lounge, but held back a bit to talk to the boy. “Please give us just a moment and we’ll be in,” he assured Allura, rubbing her back a bit and waving to Coran and Shiro. 

“Lance…I do hope you’re aware that it is not my intention to parade my feelings for Allura in front of you. She is not a conquest or a prize to me and I care for her very deeply. My affection toward her is never meant as an insult to you. I know you care deeply as well, and we do not intend to parade our mutual affection as any sort of arrogance or disrespect for your feelings. I would greatly enjoy talking with you as a friend in the future, if you might allow that.” Lance appeared very uncomfortable, and Lotor was quick to assure him. “I do hope you do not take this as an insult. I am not used to personal relationships of the casual sort, and I am well aware that this may seem very odd according to human customs. I do hope it is not terribly insulting, however.” 

“Nah, it...it’s fine. I know she doesn’t want me…”

“It has nothing to do with that. You are a dear friend to her, but you have shown time and again, in my presence alone, that you do not carry concern for her culture nor the things that matter most to her. This is not a comparative contest between the two of us based on attributes, but on how she feels as a sentient being to the way she is treated and made to feel. You must allow her the choice.”

The boy looked quite offended at that, but Lotor held up a hand. “I apologize for being so direct. As I said, I know that you care for her a great deal. She values your friendship just as much, and I do not wish to make any troubles between the two of you. But treating her as property or as a prize to be won is not something the females of any species find attractive.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked into the lounge, giving Lance some time to cool off.

Allura beamed at him as soon as he walked in, gesturing to the seat on the sofa next to her. Shiro and Coran asked no questions, to their credit, and Coran simply started the recording. Lotor could feel his eyes drooping rather immediately, and he was rather surprised when Coran himself handed him a joint. “You look like you could use it, my boy,” he said quietly. “You too, Princess. You’ve both been working so hard…I’m so glad you were able to get the samples you needed. But you both need rest! This will help.”

Lotor grinned, and Lance walked in just in time to see Coran lighting it for the both of them. Lotor smoked it easily, finding it to be quite pleasant, before passing it to Allura, who then passed it to Lance. They went in a circle until the joint was but a nub, Coran occasionally taking a puff as well. Lotor found himself relaxing almost immediately, and it had been so long since he’d had such a substance that he found it affected him quite potently. Soon he was _giggling,_ of all things. Lance looked at him for a moment and laughed.

“Hey, he’s not Lotor. He’s Hightor,” the boy said, and Lotor somehow found this so amusing that he laughed along with him. Allura fixed them both with a glare, but she was also laughing. 

“Where’s the one Hunk gave you?” she asked finally, nudging Lotor gently. He murmured something in Old Altean that even he wasn’t cognizant of the meaning for, and dug in one of the compartments on his armor until he found it. With a sound of triumph, Allura took it from him and called Coran back over. The older man lit the joint immediately with an old Altean firestarter, and for some reason this struck Lotor as hilarious. 

“I do not understand why everything is humorous to me at the moment. Apologies,” he said to the room at large. Allura just giggled. 

“Hey, man, it’s kinda what happens,” Lance reassured, seeming to have forgotten his frustration with their earlier conversation. Perhaps this drug was a true relaxant. “Don’t worry about it, you’re good. You’re so serious all the time, must be nice to laugh once in awhile.”

“It is very nice to hear,” Allura said softly, leaning into him as the recording of the Altean dance played. She narrated for the entirety of the lounge, though Lotor found himself growing pleasantly sleepy. He fought his eyelids for a bit, trying to keep them open, but by the time the third joint had made several rounds he decided to simply give up the battle. Allura must have noticed, because her hands were stroking through his hair soothingly, but she did not chide him or say a word, and no one else did either.

He jolted awake a bit later, the Altean Star Dance still playing on the screen, but he and Allura were alone in the lounge. She was awake, but just barely, watching the recording through sleepy eyes. He made an inquisitive sound and moved even closer to her, and she seemed to wake up a bit and grinned.

“Oh good, I was afraid I’d need to wake you. Come, Hunk says dinner is ready. He’s made his potatoes, they’re my favorite!” and she sounded so happy about it all that Lotor couldn’t think to resist. He was fascinated by the fuzzy edge to his perception, and would have been concerned if he hadn’t felt so safe among the residents of the castleship.

Hunk seemed quite excited to see them, waving them to the table right away and spooning a great mass of food onto each of their plates. Lotor inspected it all with great curiosity, and found the “potatoes” to be enthralling. “A tuber of some sort?” he asked, Hunk nodding in response. “They look rather like Galran grenades and other weaponry from long ago. Do they explode?”

“Well, I mean…they _can,_ ” Hunk replied with a shrug. At that, Lotor stood rather suddenly, one of the potatoes in his hand, and threw it as quickly as he could toward the wall. When it hit, it did indeed explode, and Lotor laughed. 

“Apologies, I simply wished to see how grand the explosion would be.”

“It’s…okay, I made some extras,” Hunk replied, shaking his head as he put another on Lotor’s plate, Allura dousing it with toppings. 

Aside from Coran’s grumbles about needing to clean the thrown potato from the wall and floor, the dinner was very pleasant. Lotor found himself laughing at many things, and his hunger was immense, so he asked for seconds, thirds and fourths before finally stopping to compliment the chef.

“You’re so high,” Pidge mumbled, sounding amused.

“High? Well, we are in space, thus it could be said that we are indeed quite far from the ground level of any planet…” 

“Nah, man. She means high from the weed. Remember how I said you’re not Lotor, but Hightor? Like that.” Lance, and Lotor could not argue it.

“Hmmm. I believe now I would be Foodtor, if we are making this a theme.”

“Come along, Foodtor, I believe it best we go to sleep now,” Allura said softly, and the others seemed to be in agreement. Lotor did notice that his perception was fading in and out, so he agreed readily, calling goodnight to the others as he followed her to her chambers.

They’d barely gotten into bed before he fell asleep, and his dreams were disjointed and horrible. Romelle, from the Colony, convincing the Paladins as well as Allura that he’d killed thousands of Alteans for generations now. Shiro being a clone of himself controlled by Haggar, who had turned back into Honerva after going to Oriande on his own information. Him fighting her, his generals accompanying him back to attempt to explain the Colony and what had taken place there, only for Allura to refuse to listen and to shoot. He’d gone into the Rift, the quintessence therein driving him mad, and had fired on Voltron. They’d followed him in and all he could think in the dream was _no, no, no,_ as the mechs fought one another. After a long battle and the corruption of every single one of them, Voltron left. Lotor remained in the Rift in Sincline, having sent his generals away, and…the vines had trapped him, he’d been mad but had watched her leave him there with total and complete clarity….

He came awake screaming, to Allura holding his shoulders firmly and trying to calm him. She was steadfast in her support, and he felt the need to explain it all to her, which he did. For a good while, all she did was hold him, his head on her chest and her hands gently running through his hair. “It was a nightmare,” she soothed. “Lotor, I would not leave you like that, without even letting you explain. Sometimes the Paladins and I do rely far too much on emotion rather than sense, but for us to all simply believe a stranger over you, regardless of her race, would be terrible of us all. Should anything close to this ever take place, you have my word that I would hear your side before firing, as I would hope you would do for me.”

“Of course I would,” he whispered brokenly, voice still shaking. “Until she is defeated I can never be entirely at ease. I apologize that it manifests in such ways. I must have frightened you…”

“Lotor. You have been hiding from her all your life. I cannot even imagine the amount of things I simply do not know. The things you have never shared with anyone because you cannot. I do not expect you to share it all with me, regardless of how close we’ve become recently. I trust you to tell me what needs to be known, and that you will continue to do so unless you deem it unsafe.”

“It would never be personal, if I did not…” he said, shaking his head to clear the sleep and the residual effects of the drug from his brain. “There are simply things I must not say to ensure the safety of others whose lives she would use against me.” He felt terrible even saying it, though unless Haggar had found a way to bug Allura’s chambers, which he did not believe possible or she’d have followed them both into the Rift, it should be safe to admit that much at the very least. 

Allura sighed, nuzzling into him. “I do not expect you to share everything. Should you choose to do so, I want you to feel safe doing it. I trust you, but I can completely understand your lack of trust in the majority of the universe. If that includes me I would not take offense.”

“It…you are the first one I have trusted in millennia, Princess. I do have many things I wish to share with you, but I cannot simply say them to the air as the effect could be catastrophic should I be found out. But it is never an intentional misleading out of malice, please know that. I have used manipulation as a tool against my adversaries, but you are not one.” His voice was still very quiet, but it was not the ragged whisper it had been. 

“I know it must be hard to trust, Lotor. But I am not them.”

“No. You are not. This is very new to me and I cannot feign experience or expertise, but I find my adoration for you grows more every quintant. I am simply sorry that I do not know better how to navigate this…whatever it may be.”

“And do you think I have experience?” Allura asked, smiling as she poked him with her shoulder before settling back against him, her hands still running soothingly through his hair. “I had all of two suitors on Altea, neither of which I fancied. I was distrustful of you at first but I…well. I find myself growing to appreciate you more every quintant as well. I am not good at hiding my feelings, I’m afraid, so I’m sure everyone is already aware. But I wanted you to hear it. I’ve greatly enjoyed the past six phoebes, Lotor. More than I can express – “

Lotor was about to respond when the crackling of the communicator interrupted them, Coran’s voice coming through loud and clear. 

“I’m sorry, Princess, I wanted to let you sleep in a bit. But we have a situation…or a potential one? I’m not sure. Keith’s coming in to land and he says he needs to discuss Lotor…”

Allura looked at him, appearing somewhat alarmed, but she shrugged after a moment. “We’ll be there in a few ticks, Coran.”

“I’m not sure what’s happening, but Keith is…well. I trust him a great deal. Are you steady enough to come with? You may stay here if needed, I can tell them you’re ill – “

“Nonsense, I am perfectly fine. It was but a nightmare. Better to get this over with.”


End file.
